1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a content searching apparatus that searches for a content, which a user intends to watch, out of a large number of contents, such that the search is based on a keyword selected by the user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional content searching apparatuses create a list of contents (to be shown) matching a search keyword inputted by a user when the user searches an intended content to watch out of a large number of contents stored in a server and the like (See Patent reference 1, for example).
A content searching apparatus of the above Patent reference 1 searches a content using an input keyword of a user and an additional synonym, using a thesaurus. This enables the user to search to watch an intended content even though the input keyword of the user and a keyword which the desired content has do not match completely. Thus, the content searching apparatus of the above Patent reference 1 is useful when searching the desired content out of a large number of contents since the content searching apparatus can conduct the search even where the user has vague memory of the desired content.
In addition, another content searching apparatus, showing keywords for a search to narrow contents, has been proposed (See Patent reference 2, for example).
On the content searching apparatus in the above Patent reference 2, the user narrows the contents by repeating an operation for selecting an interesting keyword out of displayed keywords, and then obtains the desired content. More specifically, this content searching apparatus creates a suitable keyword to the situation which the user is currently in according to an environmental situation, a preference, and characteristics of the user when creating a keyword for searching a restaurant. For example, this content searching apparatus first displays a location based on the user's present position (such as Umeda and Shinsai-bashi) as a keyword, and then displays kinds of cuisines served at the location as keywords (such as the Italian food and the Japanese food). This can (i) create a personalized keyword to a user according to the user's searching situation and (ii), even when the user's searching objective is unclear, provide the desired content since the user's watching object is clarified by repeating the selection of the created keyword.    [Patent reference 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 04-21056.    [Patent reference 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-40266.